Nick Presents New Series, Movie at Upfronts

[staypuftman2004]

At its 2008 upfront presentation Thursday, Nickelodeon announced its first original primetime family movie called "Gym Teacher" starring "Law and Order: SVU's" Christopher Meloni, and the development of a music-based sitcom about a boy band called "One 4 All," produced in partnership with Sony/BMG Music Entertainment.

Among the talent Nickelodeon brought in to sell its shows to advertisers were Meloni, tween stars Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy of Nick's hit show "iCarly" and Amy Poehler, who pitched her new animated sitcom "The Mighty B!" -- described as a girl power show about the "world's most ambitious and lovably unhinged 9-and-3/4-year-old Honeybee troop member."

"'The Mighty B! celebrates Bessie (the show's main character voiced by Poehler) as one girl taking on the world," said the "Saturday Night Live" star. "For me...'Mighty B!' is truly a dream come true, so come advertisers, won't you share this delicious dreamsicle with me."

"Gym Teacher" tells the story of Dave Stewie, a failed gold-medal contender-turned gym teacher who vies for the gym teach of the year award.


But standing in his way is a new uncoordinated, very unathletic transfer student who is the son of an English teacher that Stewie falls for. Nathan Kress, Amy Sedaris and David Alan Grier also star in the movie, produced in association with Dolphin Entertainment.

"One 4 All," the first series to result from Nickelodeon's partnership with Sony/BMG, follows the story of a talented young singer who is recruited by a top record producer to move to Los Angeles and become a pop star. When he insists on bringing along his three best friends, they become "the world's most unlikely boy's band," according to Nick. Scott Fellows is the show's creator.

"Beyond just integrating our existing music into Nick's programming, we're now together in a complete joint venture where we're doing brand new shows," said Sony Music Label Group Chairman Rob Stringer. He said Nick's pitch to Sony on "One 4 All" was "'Entourage' meets 'N Sync. 'One 4 All' is about a band with one great singer and three great, slightly less gifted mates which is pretty much the formula for all boy bands," he said.

MTV Networks chairman and CEO Judy McGrath also announced a new Nickelodeon multi-platform pro-social initiative called The Big Green Help, which she said would "use every screen we've got" to give kids information and access to "easy earth-friendly activities. Governments can do what they do but my bet is on the kids."

Cyma Zarghami, president, Nickelodeon & MTVN Kids and Family Group, told the advertisers, " Right now I feel that Nickelodeon has unbelievable momentum both as a business and as a brand. As a first generation of Nickelodeon families connect with Nick, we are on the eve of some really exciting initiatives, initiatives that I think are about being creatively inspiring and transformational to our business. And all of them are built on great talent and great relationships and all of them will live on every platform."

Also at the upfronts, Sony recording artist Natasha Bedingfield performed
two of her hit songs.